Air Conditioner Sparks Fire at Essence Suites

Hotel guests were safe Friday night after a fire started in one room.

Orland Fire District was called to the hotel at 14455 South La Grange Road around 9:15 p.m., for reports of the smell of smoke coming from a room. Initial units reported smoke coming from the roof and escalated the alarm to a working fire response. A fire was confirmed in a unit on the North side of the building.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire and assured residents of that unit and adjacent units were out and safe. The fire was confined to the room of origin and extinguished within 10 minutes.

There were smoke detectors in the units but not operational and the occupants were not there at the time of fire.
No injuries were reported and the residents from three units were relocated to open rooms in the hotel. The cause of the fire was a mechanical heating / air conditioning unit malfunction.

The Orland Fire District was assisted by neighboring departments requested to cover stations while Orland units were working the fire scene.